


Restricted Reading

by Holkie



Series: Mordhaus [8]
Category: Metalocalypse
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 14:03:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10720776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holkie/pseuds/Holkie
Summary: This came from two inspirations- some conversations/art over on Live Journal (don't want to give away the surprise) and the boys' habit of summoning things.Now, the thing is they only summoned something in Dethtroll and Religionklok, both first season episodes.  But Dethklok still has a rep for calling demons and such.  Maybe it's just the curse.Anways, thanks to Madameriverotter for borrowing Sarge.PS Thinking about a story with something from a Miyazaki movie.  Soot creatures maybe.





	Restricted Reading

Life as a Gear had so far been fairly normal for the new Kloketeer. It wasn't as if Janet saw as much action as Bee or even Sarge or Max. She hadn't gone on any of the road trips so far. Not much call for an ancient language translator or librarian on tour with a death metal band. Unless Nathan was in a writing mood and wanted inspirations. But then he could always call or send an email and get the same response as if she had been there in person.

 

Probably better response because she could go looking in the stacks for material if she was in the library as opposed to on the Dethbus and away from the books.

 

But it was still Mordhaus. Demon eggs, wayward trolls as well as kitties, rowdy yard wolves, drunk fans or mostly naked drummers were a usual occurrence.

 

Which was why Charles had put restrictions on certain books in Dethklok's library.

 

Now, over the years the boys had collected an amazing array of books. Some that would surprise people who had a low opinion of the boys' educations. Incredibly deep and serious scientific books in every possible field of study. All sorts of fiction books from science fiction, fantasy, westerns, dramas, mysteries, and (though they would kill anyone who let breath the fact they were in the collection) romances. Biographies of all sorts of people. Histories from all parts of the globe. Mostly on wars. Murderface's collection of Civil War books would make some historians drool. Books about religions and philosophy as well as bibles of major and minor faiths.

 

And the books ranged from mass market to rare low edition to single hand written books that had only one copy, maybe two, in the world.

 

It was more or less that last class of books, the single, hand written copies, that came under Charles' restrictions. Mostly because, well, they were dangerous. Spell books. Grimoires. Necronomicons. Where do you think Nathan got Finland's Necronomicon in order to write "Awaken"? It wasn't at the local Barnes & Noble or Borders.

 

Most of time the boys got a hold of those types of books, it was a… 'controllable incident'. Most of the time. Minor sprites, fairies, spirits were summoned and banished before too much damage was done. The source inspiration was confiscated and returned to the shelves until the boys got bored again.

 

But after the incident at Espoo, Finland and Dethklok awakening Musta Krakish, Charles put very heavy restrictions on certain books in the Dethklok library. The 'special' books were all pulled from their original collections (by time period, country of origin, etc) and put together in one of the very rare book vaults under camera surveillance with orders that any Kloketeer that saw Nathan or any of the other band members taking one of them out to report it to Charles immediately. The lawyer knew better than to have the boys agree or even know about the restrictions, because that would make them go straight for those books as soon as he was out of the room.

 

So, on this bright sunny day, Janet was deep into translating a rather interesting bit of prophesy on the Sumerian tablets. She wasn't sure if it was part of the prophesy yet, but Nathan might love it as an inspiration for a future Dethklok hit.

 

She had taken off her hood and tossed it on the table next to her. She simply couldn't work with it on. She got away with it because she worked in the library and really did need her full sight to be able to read some of the tablets. Now, she wore it when she walked the walls of Mordhaus, but when she was in the library, nose deep in translating, she was hoodless. It helped that Nathan or any other of the boys never complained when they did stumble across her working hoodless. Even with her brand, she was still more just a pretty 'goil' (as Toki called her) than a Gear.

 

Janet only gave half an ear to the Gear who approached her with some news at first until "missing" got through to her brain.

 

"Wait…what?" She looked up startled.

 

"One of the restricted books is missing from the shelves." The Gear repeated. "We're not sure which one, but it was from the 'really bad for Nathan to get his hands on section'."

 

"Have you let Mr. Offdensen know?"

 

"He's on his way to a meeting at the moment, ma'am." The hooded man said. "We have been unable to reach him."

 

"Oh, dear. Has any of the band been in yet today?"

 

"Don't know."

 

Janet pulled out her Deth-iPhone and called the front desk. "Has milord Explosion or any of the other band members been in today, 5742?"

 

"Yes," the older woman said. "Lord Explosion was waiting when I came in this morning. He got a book and left right away."

 

"Oh, shit! Not, you, 5742! Do you know if he said where he might be going?" Janet was shutting down her laptop with one hand as she asked.

 

"No, dear. But he seemed excited. I think he was going to write some new songs. I can always tell when he's got something to write about. Like a kid with a new toy."

 

"Not good!" Janet ended the call and turned back to the Kloketeer waiting. "We have to find the band. Nathan usually writes in his room unless they are in the hot tub. I'll head there and put out a call to find the boys. I just hope they didn't decide to go out today."

 

Janet grabbed her hood and pulled it on as she started to head out of the library. She had a better memory of the layout of Mordhaus now that she had been all over as a Gear. She had only been to the library, the employees' cafeteria, Charles' office, and her room before the night of the album release party that had ended with the attack by the Revengecers. Now she knew all of the above ground and a tiny little bit of the below ground (dungeons) floor plans.

 

The redhead made a bee line for Nathan's room, but he wasn't there. She thought for a moment and then headed off for the main room. Part way there she got a call the boys had headed to the studio about half a hour ago and she lit out at a dead run for there. It was more than half way across the 'haus from where she was.

 

"Keep the boys there! Don't disturb them, but don't let them leave. I'll be right there!"

 

She hit the elevators and bounced in place waiting for one. And then bounced in place as the thing sloooowly moved down to the lower floor. She stopped when she realized she was bouncing in time to the musick playing in the elevator.

 

She was out of the elevator like a shot as she pounded down the halls. Turned a corner and then another until she pulled up, breathing hard, in front of the main studio door. There were four armed Gears in the hall, waiting for her.

 

"The band is still in there, Janet." Sarge said.

 

"Knew….knew it was you, just from… Bubbles." Janet huffed as she slowly brought her breathing under control. "No…nothing has appeared. No trolls? Gnomes? Demons?"

 

"Nothing yet. But I'm not sure Nathan has started singing yet." The Gear replied, patting his beloved nail gun. "Besides, Bubbles can take care of anything that shows up."

 

Janet's raised eyebrow remained unseen as she first knocked and then opened the door.

 

"Excuse me, m'lords. But there is a book missing from the library." Janet said as she walked into the studio.

 

The band was gathered in the sitting area, going over something on paper in on the table. Toki and Skwisgaar had their guitars and it looked like they might have been working their parts of a song. Pickles had his drum sticks and he was beating out a rhythm on the couch's arm.

 

"Ah, Janet?" Nathan rumbled. "Man, this is the only time I hate the hoods, when some of our better looking girl Gears are talking to us.

 

"Yeah, so? We aren't professional librarians. We don't keep track of books."

 

The rest of the band giggled.

 

"Perhaps," Janet stood firm. "But this book came from the restricted section. You know better than to take those books without letting Mr. Offdensen or one of the Gear librarians know."

 

"Ah, man, you are no fun." The front man complained.

 

"Not now I'm not. The book, please." Janet stood with her hand out, the other on her hip like a displeased mother. "Or I'll tell Charles."

 

"COM' on!" Pickles said. "It's only for a song! Good song, too"

 

"The book."

 

Nathan reluctantly picked up the leather bound volume and handed it to her with a grumble that Janet couldn't understand. Except for "I'm telling Charlie."

 

"He'd agree with my actions. Now, any all lyrics or music that came from anything in this book." The woman tucked the book under her left arm and held out her hand again for the papers.

 

"Ah, geez!"

 

"WITCH!" Murderface yelled.

 

"You know I'm only doing what Mr. Offdensen ordered. Do you really want what happened in Finland to happen again, only worse? Remember this is your home and we are still trying to clean up from the attack and the last time you summoned something."

 

"Wes was only goin' to calls som'thing cutes! And funs!" Toki cried. "Yous like funs!"

 

"Yes, I like fun, M'lord Wartooth. But these things can be very dangerous. You never know what you are going to get. It starts out cute and then it grows up." Janet waited for the papers. "And wants to eat it's 'parents'. Do you want to be dinner or have it?"

 

Grumbling and complaining, they handed over everything that had come from the book. They really did understand the problem, but that didn't mean they didn't want to call something.

 

"Thank you, m'lords." Janet sighed inwardly. "Remember ask me or someone next time. There are a few things you can call that are only annoying, not destructive."

 

Janet left the studio and closed the door with a very heavy sigh and collapsed against it for a moment. The Gears waiting slumped noticeably as well.

 

"Damn, Bubbles doesn't get to play." Sarge groused.

 

"Yeah," Janet pushed away from the door. "But we don't get eaten either. And don't say I'm no fun! You're as bad as the boys, Sarge!"

 

Janet left at as much slower pace than she arrived, heading back to make sure the book was under lock and key.

 

But the book felt good in her hand. The old leather had been well taken care of over the years and, while it was worn, it was soft to the touch. Her fingers traced the impressed circular design on the cover. She flipped it open to read the title and realized they had really lucked out that the boys had not called anything from this particular book.

 

"Pokemonomicon- Being a Listing of All Known Pokemon and the Summoning and Control of Said Beasties"

 

Janet shuddered as she walked a little faster back to the library. Really had to get this one safely back.


End file.
